By the Strike of Midnight
by Jessica237
Summary: [JC] New year, new beginnings. Starting over the right way. 'I want this year to be about us.'


**Happy New Year, everybody! So. This is Jake/Calleigh. I figure I've put it off for long enough, and I'm hoping it turned out okay. Anyway, nothing recognizable belongs to me, though I certainly wouldn't mind having Jake. Or Eric. Either one, really. Enjoy. :)  
**

* * *

It was the last place she wanted to be tonight.

Never before had Calleigh actually dreaded one of Alexx's parties. But she would so rather be at home alone on this particular night than dressed up and lingering near the edge of the party. Under a different circumstance, she would've been right in the middle of the party.

But under that particular circumstance, Calleigh wasn't missing a vital part of herself. Under that particular circumstance, she wasn't alone on New Year's Eve.

Only, tonight she was. Tonight, she was alone, and at this party, she stuck out like a sore thumb. She was like a fish out of water. She was any number of those particular metaphors that she hated.

Honestly, she had no idea why she'd come tonight.

It had to be Alexx's threats. No one missed one of Alexx's parties without a good reason and got away with it.

Not that Calleigh was actually afraid of what Alexx might do, after all, she was the sweetest woman Calleigh had met. But still, she couldn't help be intimidated by the woman when she started with one of her parties.

With a sigh, Calleigh cast a glance around the room. It did indeed seem as though she was the only one there alone. There was Horatio and Yelina. There was Eric and the girl he'd been seeing for a while now. Alexx and her husband. Even Ryan and Valera. And as she circled the room with her eyes, it did seem as though everyone was paired up.

Everyone but Calleigh.

Normally, it wouldn't have bothered her. But now, she just wanted to go home.

Her eyes strayed to the clock on the wall for the hundredth time that night. A smile crept onto her face as she realized it was getting closer and closer to midnight. She didn't care that it was the start of a new year. All she cared about at the moment was getting what she'd been promised at midnight.

Anyone else would laugh; after all, it was just a phone call. But to Calleigh, it was so much more. In essence, it was the reason she was at this party tonight. He'd promised her that he'd call, and she'd promised him that she'd try to have a good time.

Well, she was trying. But it wasn't working.

After a moment, she was pulled from her thoughts by the ringing of her phone. It startled her, and more frantically than she'd intended, she rummaged through her purse until she found it, pulling it out and casting a quick glance at the display. The number she recognized with a smile, though she was a bit puzzled; she knew it was a good twenty minutes to midnight.

Jake never got more than ten minutes of free time during the middle of one of his assignments, and the fact that he was calling her now sort of confused her. Quickly Calleigh made her way to the side of the room, collapsing into a chair as she opened her phone, pressing it to her ear. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hey, babe."

Calleigh blinked, covering her other ear with her hand so she could hear better. "Where are you?"

Jake smirked. She knew he couldn't tell her exactly, but she still asked anyway. "I'm…in Florida."

"Oh. Well. That's good to know," Calleigh replied with a chuckle. "Are you off for the night or something?" she asked, looking at her watch. "Or just not busy, or what?"

He sighed heavily, knowing what she was really asking. "Baby, I know I promised I'd call you right at midnight, but I don't think I'm gonna be able to get to my phone again for awhile."

"Jake, are you okay?" she asked, unable to hide the worry in her voice.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't know if I'd be able to call you like I promised, and I thought maybe I should do it now. Early is better than not at all, right?"

"Yeah."

Jake heard the sigh in her reply. "Calleigh, I'm sorry."

She smiled. "No, no, it's okay, Jake. I'm just glad you called anyway," she said honestly, leaning her head against the wall.

"Well, it works both ways, babe. I needed to hear your voice too."

Despite her worry and her slight disappointment, Calleigh couldn't help but smile widely, melting at his words. "Well, I just wish I could see you too."

He smirked. "You might see me sooner than you think, babe." Before Calleigh could ask what he meant, he cut her off. "I should probably get off here," he said, hoping he sounded disappointed. "I'm headed into the city now."

Calleigh shook her head, slightly confused. "What city?"

"I don't know. Just a city. In Florida." He winced, hoping she believed him and didn't question any further. He couldn't lie to her. "Look, I gotta go, okay?"

Calleigh sighed. "Okay," she replied dejectedly. "I'll see you…sometime, I guess."

"Yeah. Be careful tonight."

She chuckled. "Jake, I'm not doing anything. In fact, I think I'm just gonna head on home and hop into bed now."

Jake bit his lip, hoping she wasn't serious. "Home? Now?"

"Yeah." She sighed again. "I like Alexx's parties, but I'm just kinda tired, you know?"

"Alright. Well, I'll let you go so you can do that, babe. Happy New Year."

"Yeah, you too."

He waited until he heard the dial tone, then he quickly opened the contact list on his phone, clicking through until he reached the D's. Hitting the send button, he unconsciously pressed harder on the gas pedal, accelerating as the city lights grew brighter around him.

Calleigh sighed, slumping a bit as she held her phone in her hands, simply staring at it. Now, she really didn't want to be here. After a moment, she stood. There was really no reason to stay any longer, especially when there was a hot bath and her bed waiting at home.

Calleigh just wanted the night to be over.

----------

_"How long are you going to be gone this time?" she asked quietly, laying unmoving on her side on the bed as Jake bustled around the room, ready to leave on his next assignment. _

_"I don't know; few weeks, I'm thinking." _

_Calleigh didn't react outwardly, but inwardly the pain was like being slapped across the face. "So you'll be gone for New Year's," she muttered. "You were supposed to go with me to Alexx's party." _

_Jake sighed. He hated this. "Calleigh, I know, but there's nothing I can do." _

_"I know." Calleigh didn't trust herself to utter more than a whisper, knowing her voice would tremble. Christmas had just come and gone, and now he was having to leave again. It hurt her more than she'd let on. _

_But Jake caught on anyway. She couldn't hide from him. "Hey," he said gently, kneeling by the side of the bed. "Is that a tear I see?" _

_Calleigh lifted a hand, brushing away the obvious moisture from her eyes. "No," she replied stubbornly, not meeting his eyes. _

_He smiled, gently brushing a knuckle over her cheek. "Why, if I didn't know better," he began, smirking slightly, "I'd say you're getting a bit attached to me." He gave a smug grin, lifting his hand and ruffling Calleigh's hair slightly. "Can't say I blame you; I'd be attached to me too." _

_Calleigh couldn't help but smile, rolling her eyes. "Oh yeah, how could anyone not get attached to you?" she teased lightly, rolling onto her back. _

_"Seriously," Jake agreed, completely straight-faced. "I mean, when you have my brilliant charm and my dashing good looks, who wouldn't get attached?" He winked, crawling onto the bed, his face hovering mere centimeters above hers. "Not to mention," he added, lowering his lips to her jaw line, trailing kisses all the way to her ear as she squirmed and giggled beneath him, "how amazing I am," he paused again, nibbling at her earlobe, "in bed." _

_Calleigh's eyes widened as a blush crept into her cheeks. "Jake!" _

_He pulled back, grinning cheekily. "And let's not forget the wall. The shower. The kitchen table." _

_"Jake!" she protested again, pushing him off of her. She sat up, turning her head in an effort to hide her burning cheeks. _

_"Not to mention the back of that Hummer that one - no, those two times," he continued, smirking. "Nice and spacious back there, huh?" _

_Calleigh closed her eyes, letting out a breath. "Stop it, Jake," she demanded, trying not to smile. _

_"You love it." He grinned. "Every minute of it." He pulled her into his lap, dropping his lips to her neck. "Admit it," he breathed, his lips sliding over her skin, snickering slightly as Calleigh tilted her head, allowing him better access. "You can't get enough of me." _

_Calleigh rolled her eyes again. "Do you have to be so damn egotistical?" _

_He chuckled. "Can't help it." He pulled back, looking her directly in the eye, one eyebrow lifted slightly in challenge, a cocky smirk playing at his lips. "That's like asking you if you have to be so damn sexy," he said huskily, slipping his hands slowly beneath the hem of her tank top, his fingers skimming lightly over her skin. Calleigh gasped softly, her eyes fluttering closed. Jake gave a low chuckle, loving her reaction. "Too sexy for your own good," he muttered, pulling her closer and roughly claiming her lips with his. _

_Calleigh moaned, feeling electricity spark through every inch of her. The warmth of his body pressed against hers, the feel of his hands on her skin, his lips moving against hers; it was sensory overload. It was too much, but at the same time, it was just enough to make her forget, at least, for the moment, that there was always the possibility that this could be the last time she had him like this. _

_With the fingers of one hand she pulled gently at the back of his hair, trying to pull him closer to her, kissing him frantically. With her other hand and her body, she pushed at his chest, pushing him down on the bed. _

_Jake smirked, sliding his hands around her back. "Feisty, hmm?" he murmured against her lips. _

_"Shut up," she demanded, once more sealing her lips to his. Later she might hate herself for it, but for now, she couldn't bring herself to care. She was a strong, Southern woman; she'd always been taught to be independent, that she did not need to have a man around in order to feel good about herself, and yet, there was only one thought constantly reverberating around her mind: _Make him stay.

_Her plans were dashed as she heard the unmistakable ring of Jake's cell. Any other time, she would've laughed; he had the most ridiculous ring tone, and she took every chance she got to mock him about it. But this time, she just wanted to toss that phone into the Atlantic and never hear it ring again. "Don't answer it," she mumbled, her lips leaving his and tracing a path across his jaw line. _

_He smiled apologetically, running a hand lazily through her hair. "I have to," he protested, smirking slightly. Usually it was the other way around; usually she was the one who stopped to answer her phone. He snickered slightly; he'd never forget that one time Delko had called. Jake had never seen Calleigh's face so red before. _

_With a groan, he reached to the nightstand and grabbed his phone, flipping it open as Calleigh's lips trailed down his neck, obviously trying to distract him. He answered, trying to listen intently, glad for this particular call that he really didn't have to talk. _

_"Okay, yeah," he managed after a moment, trying not to react to Calleigh's lips on his collarbone. "I'll be there…twenty-five minutes." Calleigh's head snapped up, and Jake hated the look in her green eyes. He couldn't place it; it was bordering on accusation and hurt, and he hated that he'd put it there. With a sigh, Calleigh gave up, crawling away from him and back to her side of the bed, facing away from him. "Calleigh," Jake called softly, closing his phone and sitting up. "Calleigh." _

_"Don't, Jake," Calleigh murmured. "Please, don't." _

_"'Leigh," he whispered, using the nickname she tolerated only from him. He shifted, slipping behind her and pressing a kiss into her hair. Gently he tugged on her shoulder, rolling her onto her back with little resistance. "Talk to me, 'Leigh." _

_Calleigh bit her lip. "I don't want you to go," she said meekly, not meeting his eyes. _

_He smiled. Wordlessly he leaned down, catching her lips in an uncharacteristically soft kiss. "I'll be back before you know it, babe." _

_"I know." She sighed. "I just…every time you go, it's getting harder and harder for me to watch you leave." Briefly she met his eyes, and, suddenly uncomfortable with just how much she'd revealed to him, she forced his touch away from her and rolled back to her side. _

_"Calleigh, I-" he paused, interrupted again by the ringing of his phone. He took a quick look at the display and immediately sent it to voice mail. He gave a resigned sigh, running a hand gently over Calleigh's shoulder. "I have to go." _

_"I know." She closed her eyes, trying to shut out all every sensation, every feeling that washed through her as she felt him slip off of the bed and begin moving around the room. Calleigh assumed he was getting ready to leave; she wasn't sure since she was afraid to look. _

_Within moments, she felt him kneel in front of her again, and Calleigh found herself unable to keep her eyes closed. She stared at him, hating herself for the unshed tears she was sure were showing through in her eyes. Jake didn't speak; he simply reached out to her, gently squeezing her hand. Calleigh squirmed, slightly uncomfortable with the intense gaze in Jake's deep brown eyes. _

_Once more he leaned in, kissing her softly. Then with a sigh, he rose to his feet, but Calleigh didn't let go of his hand. "Will you do something for me?" she asked tentatively. "Something maybe a bit silly?" _

_Jake grinned, and for the moment Calleigh forgot that he was getting ready to leave. Again. "Name it." _

_"New Years Eve. Will you call me? At midnight? Or maybe, just a bit before, so I can talk to you at midnight?" She glanced at him, sensing the question before he asked it. "Maybe I won't get to kiss you at midnight, but at least I'll be able to hear your voice and not start the new year wondering whether or not you're okay." She smiled embarrassedly, looking away. "See, I told you it was silly." _

_He gave her a genuine smile. "It's not silly," he remarked quietly. _

_Calleigh avoided his eyes, biting her lip. "Well, will you do it?" _

_"Of course." He smirked. "The question, however, is will you get off the damn phone long enough for me to get through?" _

_Calleigh laughed softly despite herself. "Considering that most of the time when I'm on the phone I'm talking to you, I doubt it'll be a problem." _

_"Good." He gave her one of his smiles; one of those that always managed to melt Calleigh. "I'd hate to miss you." Calleigh gave a soft smile, dropping his hand with a slight nod. But Jake didn't move; instead he shifted back to serious mode. "Calleigh, I…" he hesitated, brushing his fingers over her hair. Lowering his head, he dropped a tender kiss to her temple, his lips lingering for a few more seconds. "Don't worry about me," he decided to say as he straightened up, letting his hands drop to his sides. "I'll see you soon, okay?" _

_And with that he turned, forcing himself out of the room. Calleigh didn't move; she closed her eyes and lay still, breathing in the already fading scent of him. Despite how strong she liked to think she was, it still hurt when he left like this. It hurt immensely. _

_Faintly, she heard the front door close, letting her know she was really alone. Unable to stop it any longer, Calleigh rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in his pillow, crying softly. _

----------

From across the room, Eric caught sight of Calleigh's long blonde hair. Closing his phone, he began pushing through the crowd, moving a bit quicker as he saw her heading toward the door. "Calleigh!"

Calleigh sighed, though she put on a smile as she turned to him. "Eric?" she asked, puzzled when he caught up to her and put a hand on her arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked casually…a little ­_too_ casually.

Calleigh lifted an eyebrow. Something was going on here; what it was, though, she had no idea. "I just thought I'd head on home," she said.

"You can't leave yet, Calleigh."

"Why not?" Calleigh asked, crossing her arms.

"Because it's only a few minutes to midnight. You can't leave until we ring in the new year," he reasoned.

Calleigh chuckled. "What are you up to, Eric?"

He grinned. "Me? I'm not up to anything." He shrugged. "You're my friend, Cal, and I just think it'd be a shame if you were alone for the start of the new year." Eric shook his head. "Doesn't bode very well for the rest of the year."

Calleigh tried not to wince; Eric was just being friendly. After all, he didn't know that whether or not she was alone at midnight, she was afraid she'd be alone for most of the year anyway. "Okay, fine. I'll stay." She grinned playfully. "But I'm not kissing you at midnight, if that's what you're up to."

Eric placed a hand over his heart, as though hurt. "Ow, Calleigh. Just…ow."

Calleigh laughed. "Oh please, Eric."

"I'm serious. That hurt."

"Yeah, I'm sure it did," Calleigh said, rolling her eyes playfully.

Eric pretended to glare. "Wow, I know who to go to when I need sympathy," he teased before he walked off, throwing a playful wink over his shoulder to her.

Once he was gone, Calleigh sighed, forcing her attention to the scene on the TV like everyone else, figuring she might as well pretend to be happy for the very last seconds of the year. She even made herself join in half-heartedly in the countdown.

But with six seconds left, Calleigh could've sworn she'd heard her name amid all the commotion. She shrugged it off, though. The room was loud; surely she was just hearing things. Six became five; five became four, and there it was again, this time from much closer behind her. Puzzled, she looked around; still not seeing the source of that voice.

"Calleigh!"

She turned around once more, her eyes widening in shock as she realized just who was calling her name. She shook her head slightly, now completely oblivious to the sounds of the crowd around her counting down the last seconds of the year. "Jake…what -"

He cut her off. "Don't talk," he commanded, and with that he reached and pulled her to him, crushing his lips against hers as the countdown finally made it to zero. Calleigh melted against him, grateful for the arms that held her as her knees threatened to give out. Her heart felt as though it might pound straight out of her chest, but she paid it no attention, looping her arms tightly around his neck, bringing him in even closer to her, her fingers threading through the dark hair at the back of his neck. She felt his arms circling her waist, his fingertips causing her to shiver even through the fabric of her dress. It was dangerous, this wave of sensation she was caught in; but she could do nothing but stand there in his arms and let the wave crash over her, somehow already knowing he'd keep her from drowning in it.

So lost was she that she never even heard the cries of "Happy New Year!" echoing around them. As far as Calleigh was concerned, she and Jake were the only people in the room, and as long as his arms were around her; as long as his lips were on hers, that was all that mattered.

But eventually, the lack of oxygen made itself painfully known to both of them, and they broke apart, Calleigh still not relinquishing her tight grasp on him. "Oh my God, Jake," she murmured breathlessly, "what are you doing here?" She licked her lips, still tasting him upon them, and it was almost enough to make her dizzy again.

Jake didn't answer right away, and Calleigh glanced to the side, her eyes landing on Eric. He waved at her, giving her a lopsided grin. And suddenly it all fell into place. "Delko knew about this, didn't he?" she asked softly, her eyes once again trained completely on Jake.

He grinned. "Yeah. I gave him a call after I called you. I needed some way to keep you here."

"You could've just come by my place, you know."

"Well, you know me. I like big entrances," Jake replied. "And besides, if I hadn't caught you here, I probably wouldn't have gotten to see you wearing my dress."

Calleigh laughed, her eyes sparkling. "_Your_ dress?"

"Hey, I did buy it," he said with a wink. He gently ran his hands over the dark fabric, resting them at her hips. "And it is my favorite, after all." He gave a devious snicker. "And I can't wait to get you home and get it off of you."

Calleigh played along. "What, do you seriously think it'd look better on you or something?"

Jake grinned. "Actually, between you and me," he began, lowering his voice, "I think it'd look best on the floor by the bed."

"Jake!" Calleigh giggled, a blush creeping into her cheeks, though her eyes sparkled in the way that only Jake could make happen. He just had that effect on her, and Calleigh knew she wouldn't trade it for anything. She leaned into him a little more, closing her eyes and breathing him in. "I missed you."

"I was only gone a few days," Jake replied, amused.

"I know. But I missed you anyway."

He pulled her closer, loving the way she felt in his arms. "I missed you too."

Calleigh smiled, giving a contented sigh. "So what exactly are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

Jake pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I wanted to surprise you."

Calleigh gave him a genuine smile. "Well, you certainly did. Still doesn't answer why you're here instead of undercover somewhere."

"I could leave…"

"No!" Calleigh looked down, slightly embarrassed. "I mean, I don't want that."

He chuckled. "Relax, 'Leigh; I was kidding. Besides, it's not gonna happen again anyway."

Calleigh lifted her head, confusion obvious in her green eyes. "What?"

He smiled. "Calleigh, I'm done."

"I don't…" she shook her head. "You're…done?"

He nodded. "The undercover thing. I'm done with it."

Calleigh stared at him. "But Jake…I don't get it."

He smirked. "Have you been drinking tonight?" he teased, earning a gentle smack from Calleigh. "I'm done. That's it. No more. What is it that you don't get?"

She shook her head, still confused. "Jake, it's your job. You can't just give that up, just like that. You love what you do."

He pursed his lips. "As much as I loved it, I think you'd be surprised at just how easy it was for me to give it up," he whispered low, tucking a lock of hair behind Calleigh's ear. He let his hand linger, his thumb gently stroking over her cheek. "Every time I have to go," he began, recalling what she'd said to him a few mornings before, "it's getting harder and harder to leave you. Eventually I know I'm not gonna be able to. But I don't want to wait for it to get to that." He paused, pressing a soft kiss to Calleigh's lips. "I love you, Calleigh. I want this year to be about us. No more stealing moments whenever we can get them because we don't know when there'll be another. No more long nights alone. Just us. You and me, babe."

Calleigh took a deep breath, blinking her eyes several times. He'd quite honestly rendered her speechless, and so she did the only thing that made sense. Locking her hands tighter around his neck, she brought him in and kissed him deeply. "You mean it?" she asked breathlessly, gazing deep into his eyes once she'd pulled away.

"Every word," he murmured with a smile.

And as he took her hand and led her toward the door, Calleigh couldn't help but smile brightly herself; looking ahead to the rest of the year, knowing that it truly was theirs. All 365 days of it.


End file.
